Mikkel Boedker
| birth_place = Brondby, Denmark | draft = 8th overall | draft_year = 2008 | draft_team = Phoenix Coyotes | career_start = 2006 }} Mikkel Boedker (born on December 16, 1989) is a Danish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected eighth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest-ever drafted Danish player. Playing Career Mikkel was brought up in the highly-regarded youth hockey program of Rødovre SIK. In 2005 at the age of 15, he moved to Frölunda HC in Sweden, where he played on Frölunda's junior team. He had an impressive 2006–07 season with 49 points (19 goals and 30 assists) in 39 games. The team won the national junior championships and Bødker also made his debut with the men's team in the Swedish Elite League. After the season, Mikkel was drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the 2007 CHL Import Draft and he joined the team for the 2007–08 season. He had a successful first season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he played on the Rangers' second line. He scored 29 goals and 44 assists for a total of 73 points in 62 regular season games. In the playoffs, Mikkel enjoyed even more success, with 35 points in 20 games en route to helping the Rangers winning the OHL playoff championship. In the Memorial Cup, he had six points in five games as the Rangers finished runner-up, losing in the finals to the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Spokane Chiefs. He scored his first NHL goal on October 12, 2008, against Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Anaheim Ducks. Mikkel also played in the NHL YoungStars Game in 2009 at the year's All-Star weekend festivities in Montreal, Quebec. In the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, he had an impressive showing, scoring two straight overtime-winning goals in Games 3 and 4 of the first round series against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Coyotes would go on to a franchise-record-setting playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, where the team ultimately lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in five games. Mikkel scored four goals and four assists during the Coyotes' playoff run. On October 15, 2014, Mikkel scored his first career NHL hat-trick against the Edmonton Oilers to lead the Coyotes to the 7–4 victory. Following the 2014–15 NHL season, he became a restricted free agent under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Arizona Coyotes made him a qualifying offer to retain his NHL rights. On July 5, 2015, Mikkel filed for salary arbitration. In the 2015–16 season, Mikkel became the first player ever to record two hat tricks in one season against the Ottawa Senators. His first came against the Senators in Ottawa on October 24, 2015 in a 4–1 win. His second hat trick against the Senators came on November 28, 2015 in Arizona in a 4–3 win. On February 29, 2016, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Alex Tanguay, Conner Bleackley and prospect Kyle Wood. Career Statistics Regular season and playoffs International International Play Mikkel's older brother, Mads is a defenceman with Rögle BK in the Swedish second tier league HockeyAllsvenskan and a regular player with the Danish national team. The two brothers teamed up on the Danish junior national team at the 2007 Division I World Junior Championships and helped Denmark gain promotion to the top division for the first time. Playing against opponents up to two years older, Mikkel scored one goal in five games. He played for Denmark again at the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He finished second in team scoring behind Lars Eller, notching two goals and four assists in six games. Category:1989 births Category:Danish ice hockey players Category:Phoenix Coyotes players Category:Phoenix Coyotes draft picks Category:Colorado Avalanche players Category:Lukko Rauma players Category:Frolunda HC players Category:Kitchener Rangers players Category:San Antonio Rampage players